1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to firearms. Specifically, and not by way of limitation, the present invention relates to a portable weapon safe providing rapid access to a weapon.
2. Description of the Related Art
Currently, in the United States, more people are purchasing firearms than ever before. Although people purchase firearms for a wide variety of reasons, personal protection is the primary purpose for the increased demand in owning a firearm. The popularity in the utilization of firearms as a means of self-defense has created unique challenges for the secure storage and rapid retrieval of firearms. Gun safes have always been the most effective and popular way to secure a firearm from unauthorized use and theft. Although there are a variety of different safes on the market, all of these safes have inherent limitations that result in gun owners having to make unnecessary and potentially dangerous compromises to achieve their objectives.
Large stationary safes are effective at storing firearms safely and deterring theft, but suffer from some serious disadvantages, such as mobility of the safe and rapid accessibility of the stored firearm. Gun owners often overcome these limitations by removing the firearm from the safe and placing the firearm in close proximity to themselves. This dangerous and sometimes tragic scenario is most often observed when a firearm owner, before going to bed, removes the firearm from the safe and places it in a drawer or on top of a nightstand for quick retrieval. However, security of the firearm is compromised, exposing the firearm to children and other unauthorized persons.
In addition, there are existing smaller safes specifically designed for handguns which utilize rapid access technology, such as biometrics. These safes offer improved accessibility over the larger stationary safes, but are limited in deterring theft, portability, safety and rapid firearm retrieval. Due to the small size, these safes are ineffective in deterring theft. A robber can simply remove the entire safe and contents. Although most of these safes have provisions that allow them to be bolted down to an immovable object, once affixed to the unmovable object, the safe is then immobile, thereby losing the important advantage of portability. In order for gun owners to achieve some kind of portability and have their firearms by their sides, the gun owners are forced to purchase multiple safes. However, the use of multiple safes is both costly and requires that the firearm be physically handled when moving the firearm from one safe to another safe. This action increases the possibility of an accidental discharge caused by the increased handling of the firearm. Another concern for safety is the method used to position the firearm in the safe. Most of these safes are designed for the firearm to be positioned in the confines of the safe laying on the bottom surface of the safe. Besides not offering any physical protection for the firearm when transported to different locations, this method of storage leaves an owner vulnerable to an accidental discharge by not protecting the trigger during the removal of the firearm from the safe. By not protecting the trigger, an owner is free to grab the totally exposed firearm and position the shooting finger in the trigger guard while extracting the firearm from the safe. This action enables the owner to potentially discharge the firearm while gaining access. This possibility is increased as the urgency and excitement to withdraw the firearm is increased. In addition, any rapid firearm retrieval is lost due to the positioning of the firearm in the safe. After the safe is opened, the owner is required to physically reach his hand into the safe and retrieve the firearm that is positioned on a flat surface. Because the handle of the firearm is not totally exposed and easily grasped, valuable time is wasted in trying to retrieve the firearm.
Additionally, many government agencies and security firms utilize firearms for the protection of valuables, the security of controlled areas and, personal protection. Although the majority of situations are most effective if the firearm is carried on an individual's person, such as carrying the firearm in a holster, there are many situations where this method of carriage can be extremely dangerous. Situations, such as those found with the Immigration and Customs Inspection facilities, the defense of a cockpit on commercial airliners, or a correctional facility are just a few examples of where maintaining a firearm in a controlled but readily accessible environment could increase effectiveness, efficiency, and safety compared with the carriage method. Carrying a firearm while dealing with large groups of people increases the risk of having the firearm stolen from an agent and used on that agent or other innocent victims. Also, the issuance of a firearm to each individual has the potential for creating both dangerous and costly results. With more personnel possessing firearms, there is a higher probability that an unintentional discharge will occur or that the firearms will be lost or stolen. This is particularly relevant if the individual is allowed to take the firearm home, now exposing the individual's family and friends to these risks. The other notable disadvantage is the increased cost associated with arming each individual with a firearm, even though that firearm is only utilized in a confined space for a small proportion of an individual's work day.
Additionally, some safes offer the ability to retract the firearm from the safe by using mechanical linkage and physical force as the energy source. After access is achieved, either by an electric or mechanical locking device, the operator must physically open the safe door while withdrawing the firearm from the interior of the safe. This two step process requires additional time to be expended in gaining access to the firearm. In addition, the internal mechanical linkage requires the safe to be large and heavy, which severely limits portability. As discussed above, due to the safes smaller size, these safes are ineffective in deterring theft. A robber can simply remove the entire safe and contents. Although most of these safes have provisions that allow them to be bolted down to an immovable object, once affixed to the unmovable object, the safe is then immobile, thereby losing the important advantage of portability. In order for gun owners to achieve some kind of portability and have their firearms by their sides, the gun owners are forced to purchase multiple safes. However, the use of multiple safes is both costly and requires that the firearm be physically handled when moving the firearm from one safe to another safe. This action increases the possibility of an accidental discharge caused by the increased handling of the firearm.
In addition, some safes are portable and have the ability for rapid firearm retrieval by using a spring-activated ejectable drawer or other means which extends the firearm out of the interior of the safe. These safes maintain a constant pressure on the door, making opening and closing of the locking device cumbersome and difficult. Although portable, the safe and firearm are completely exposed to theft. Although the safe may have provisions that allow them to be bolted down to an unmovable object, once affixed to the unmovable object, the safe is then immobile, thereby losing the important advantage of portability. In order for gun owners to achieve some kind of portability and have their firearms by their sides, the gun owners are forced to purchase multiple safes. However, the use of multiple safes is both costly and requires that the firearm be physically handled when moving the firearm from one safe to another safe. This action increases the possibility of an accidental discharge caused by the increased handling of the firearm. Another concern for safety is the method used to position the firearm in the safe. These safes are designed for the firearm to be positioned in the confines of the safe laying on the bottom surface of the safe. Besides not offering any physical protection for the firearm when transported to different locations, this method of storage leaves an owner vulnerable to an accidental discharge by not protecting the trigger during the removal of the firearm from the safe. By not protecting the trigger, an owner is free to grab the totally exposed firearm and position the shooting finger in the trigger guard while extracting the firearm from the safe. This action enables the owner to potentially discharge the firearm while grasping the firearm. This possibility is increased as the urgency and excitement to withdraw the firearm is increased. In addition, any rapid firearm retrieval is lost due to the positioning of the firearm in the safe. After the safe is opened, the owner is required to physically reach his hand into the safe and retrieve the firearm that is positioned on a flat surface. Because the handle of the firearm is not totally exposed and easily grasped, valuable time is wasted in trying to retrieve the firearm.
Additionally, some safes offer a variety of secure methods to gain access to the firearm but fail to address the important aspect of rapid firearm retrieval from the safe. This type of safe is configured as a rectangle box that requires that the firearm be extracted from the container by reaching into the container and picking up a firearm that is laid on the bottom surface of the safe. This action is cumbersome and time consuming. This action is also unsafe as the trigger of the firearm is exposed during the extraction process, enabling the operator to potentially discharge the firearm while gaining access. This possibility is increased as the urgency and excitement to withdraw the firearm is increased. Additionally, due to the safe's smaller size, these safes are ineffective in deterring theft. A robber can simply remove the entire safe and contents.
In addition, some portable safes offer the ability to mount the safe to a bracket, which is affixed to a stationary fixture. In order to attach and detach the safe to the bracket, the safe must be opened and a mechanical part placed within or removed from the interior of the safe. This action is time consuming and unnecessarily exposes the firearm.
Another alternative for deterring the theft of the safes and stored firearms is to use a metal cable attached to the safe on one end and a structure, such as a bed frame or desk, on an opposite end. This form of security is easily compromised by simply cutting the cable or dismantling the structure that the cable is attached to. There is also the inconvenience of attaching and reattaching the long and cumbersome cable every time the user desires to secure the safe.
In addition, there are some safes that have integrated a mechanical or biometric access component within the safe and are advertised as portable. However, these safes tend to be bulky and heavy, having very limited portability and providing no protection from theft. Additionally, some safes are designed for multiple uses, such as the security of firearms and storage of other valuables. These safes might maintain security and possess access technology, but lack portability and the ability to retrieve the firearm in a rapid and safe manner.
Additionally, gun owners and agencies often use trigger guards or some other locking device, which disables the firearm from firing. These locking devices leave the firearm exposed to the elements. It is also time consuming to remove the locking device from the firearm and provides no protection from theft.
Furthermore, in many areas, state laws prohibit the carriage or transportation of open firearms in the confines of the vehicle. The trunk is generally acceptable, unless the firearm is contained within a safe or containment vessel that limits access. Oftentimes, firearms are carried in containers that are not designed for such purposes. This often results in transporting a firearm that is unsecured and vulnerable to unauthorized access or theft. Additionally, the firearm is physically unprotected from the surrounding environment, leaving it vulnerable to damage from dropping, denting or scratching of the firearm. Furthermore, if a firearm is transported in a commercial aircraft, it must meet the requirements dictated by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).
An apparatus is needed that will provide a secure environment for the storage of a weapon limiting controlled access to only authorized persons. Furthermore the apparatus should have the option of being stationary or portable, allowing the operator too quickly and easily secure the apparatus to a fixed platform without exposing the weapon to an unsecured condition. Additionally, a rapid access and retrieval portable safe is needed that allows for the transport of a secure weapon throughout a home or business, in a vehicle or travel on a commercial airliner while meeting the requirements of the TSA. It would also be advantageous to have an apparatus that is capable of integrating a variety of quick access options, either mechanical access, with key locks and push buttons or electrical access utilizing biometrics, remote wired and wireless devices, motion/sound detection, and security alarm systems. The apparatus should provide for the rapid and safe retrieval of a weapon, and do so during times of limited visibility. It is an object of the present invention to provide such an apparatus.